Product Description

John Travolta solidified his position as the most versatile and magnetic screen presence of the decade in this film version of the smash hit play Grease. Recording star Olivia Newton-John made her American film debut as Sandy, Travolta's naive love interest. The impressive supporting cast reads like a "who's who" in this quintessential musical about the fabulous '50s. Grease is not just a nostalgic look at a simpler decade--it's an energetic and exciting musical homage to the age of rock 'n' roll!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2089 in DVD
• Brand: Paramount
• Released on: 2006-09-19
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 1.66:1
• Formats: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DVD, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English, French
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .35 pounds
• Running time: 100 minutes

Amazon.com essential video
Riding the strange '50s nostalgia wave that swept through America during the late 1970s (caused by TV shows like Happy Days and films like American Graffiti), Grease became not only the word in 1978, but also a box-office smash and a cultural phenomenon. Twenty years later, this entertaining film adaptation of the Broadway musical received another successful theatrical release, which included visual remastering and a shiny new Dolby soundtrack. In this 2002 DVD release, Grease lovers can also now see it in the correct 2:35 to 1 Panavision aspect ratio, and see retrospective interviews with cast members and director Randal Kleiser. All these stylistic touches are essential to the film's success. Without the vibrant colors, unforgettably campy and catchy tunes (like "Greased Lightning," "Summer Nights," and "You're the One That I Want"), and fabulously choreographed, widescreen musical numbers, the film would have to rely on a silly, cliché-filled plot that we've seen hundreds of times. As it is, the episodic story about the romantic dilemmas experienced by a group of graduating high school seniors remains fresh, fun, and incredibly imaginative.

The young, animated cast also deserves a lot of credit, bringing chemistry and energy to otherwise bland material. John Travolta, straight from his success in Saturday Night Fever, knows his sexual star power and struts, swaggers, sings, and dances appropriately, while Olivia Newton-John's portrayal of virgin innocence is the only decent acting she's ever done. And then there's Stockard Channing, spouting sexual double-entendres as Rizzo, the bitchy, raunchy leader of the Pink Ladies, who steals the film from both of its stars. Ignore the sequel at all costs. --Dave McCoy

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Stills from Grease (Click for larger image)

On the DVD
When Grease was first released on DVD in 2002, Paramount threw a massive release party, reuniting the original cast and crew for a night of reminiscing and sing-alongs. It's that footage that makes up the majority of the Rockin' Rydell Edition's special features, and oh what special features they are. Watching Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta duet on "You're The One That I Want"--complete with dance moves and a live band--and bringing in the other T-Birds and Pink Ladies for "Summer Nights" is simply magic, even if most of them struggled to remember the words. The new edition, wrapped in a black leather T-Bird jacket, also includes a Rydell sing-along (go directly to your favorite numbers and karaoke your heart out) and features on everything from the cars of Grease to the choreography (Poor Jeff Conaway: There's multiple references to the fact that he played Danny on Broadway, but got relegated to the role of Kenickie instead, only to see Kenickie's "Greased Lightning" number get handed to Travolta's Danny for the film.). There's also interviews with Newton-John and Travolta on the evening of the movie's premiere in 1978, before she would bust out with "Physical" (and uh, Xanadu) and he would one day be a mega-movie star with his own plane.

The audio commentary, with director Randal Kleiser and choreographer Patricia Birch, is mostly a snoozefest other than two little gems: That actor Michael Biehn (The Terminator) and director Andy Tennant (Hitch) make appearances as a jock and dancer, respectively; and that the original hand jive had a "much raunchier title," according to Birch. The Rockin' Rydell edition is well worth the investment, at least until Travolta hobbles around in a leather jacket for the 50th anniversary reunion. -- Ellen A. Kim